Illinoistocht

Bicycling the Hennepin Canal, I&M Canal, and Old Plank Rail Trail

Photo Slideshow Tour of the Hennepin Canal and a few sights nearbyHere is a link to a photo bike tour of the Hennepin Canal: after the photo of the Princeton Amtrak station, the canal photos start from Bridge 1 / Lock 3 on the eastern end and head westward to the Rock River in Colona, IL in a suburb of the Quad Cities. The photos continue from Rock Falls south along the feeder canal back to the summit pool. Not how you would ride it, but it shows what a ride on the Hennepin would look like.

Multi-day tour ride including the Hennepin Canal (main and feeder section), the I&M Canal, and the Old Plank Rail TrailI rode across Illinois on the Hennepin, I&M, and OPRT trails in May 2008. Beyond my interest in the canals for ice skating in winter, I enjoyed cycling the towpath trails, which are part of the larger Grand Illinois Trail. The combination of trails can make for an excellent weekend trip. I started my trip at the western end of the Hennepin Canal trail at the Rock River in Colona, IL, turned at the feeder junction for the round trip up and back to Rock Falls, headed eastward from the feeder junction, and finally finished with the Hennepin trail at the lot at Route 29 in Bureau Junction. It was obviously a long day, but the weather was sunny and it being late May it never got too hot. I stayed overnight in Utica at a nice bed and breakfast--I was thankful for the bar nearby that served dinner past 9pm and that the B&B had a nice jacuzzi tub in the room. Utica makes for a nice place to stay as it is right off of the I&M canal trail and has a variety of lodging and restaurant options.

The second day I rode the I&M and Old Plank Rail Trail. The nature of the ride was different from the Hennepin trail as the I&M runs through many towns along the way while the Old Plank Rail Trail cuts through suburban Chicago. I finished the ride a little short of the end of the OPRT at the Matteson Metra station. You can't miss it as it is right by the trail. I then got aboard the next train with the bike (no problem as I was going into the city, against the commute). I took the train to downtown and then made my way a few more blocks to a hotel located just off of Michigan Ave. After two long days of riding the trails, which for most of the journey had seemed secluded from civilization by trees or large fields, it was a surreal experience to emerge from the train station into the bustle of downtown Chicago on an early summer evening as people were leaving their workplaces for the day. I was exhausted and happily checked my bike with the bellman at the hotel. Needless to say, I skipped a night out at nearby Rush St. and instead ordered room service.

Lock and one of the distinctive lift bridges on the Hennepin Canal

The Hennepin and I&M trails provide pleasant scenery, a bit of history, and a flat route free of vehicle traffic (with the exception of the sections on the roads from the Hennepin to the I&M in LaSalle/Peru, downtown Joliet, and the numerous road crossings for the OPRT). It's more remote than similar lengthy trails in the region such as the Katy trail in Missouri—the remoteness of the Hennepin (and to a lesser extent the I&M) is at times pleasing for its solitude but can make logistics more difficult. The ride makes for a pleasant two to four day excursion--perfect for a seasoned rider to ride in a single weekend. GPS information for two day journey is below. The ride I did could have been shortened by not including the feeder canal trail (up and back added nearly 60 miles / 96 km). From Colona to Utica, the distance is roughly 82 miles (131 km) and from Utica to the Matteson Metra station the distance is about 78 miles (125 km). This would be a one-way journey--in my case, I had rented a car in Chicago that I left at the Moline airport, and then paid a cab driver to take me to the start of the trail. The cue sheets on the Grand Illinois Trail provide a nice way to get to the start from the Mississippi River in East Moline, which adds another 9 miles (14.5 km). Another option for getting from Chicago to the Hennepin, aside from driving, would be Amtrak to Kewanee--Amtrak does allow bikes on some trains for a fee with a reservation (but it's probably not feasible to put the bike on the connection bus that runs from Galesburg to Moline, unless you want it sliding and banging around unsecured in the luggage hold) and there are early morning and late afternoon trains. Starting the ride in Kewanee would make the first day, including the 12 mile (19 km) stretch to the canal in Annawan, a slightly shorter 70 miles (110 km) first day journey from Kewanee to Utica. Another way to the canal would be to take Amtrak to Princeton, and then bike a reasonably short distance over decent roads to the eastern section of the Hennepin.

Lock #16 on the eastern portion of the Hennepin Canal.

Trail Surface CommentsMuch of the Hennepin trail was actually nicer than I expected as a significant portion of it was oil and chip which is closer to pavement than other similar trails I have ridden which are crushed stone / gravel, with the rest of the Hennepin trail that wasn't oil and chip being a very manageable crushed stone. There were no washouts on the Hennepin Canal trail despite the spring rains and there were no spots with major overgrowth, with the exception of a few spots on the feeder trail where I had to get around a few downed tree branches. The I&M Canal trail was similar although most of it was crushed stone, and when I rode it, I had to "portage" a few big washouts and overall the I&M trail surface had absorbed more water in general compared to the Hennepin trail and there were a few instances when the bike tires sunk in just a little or were sluggish. Note that when I rode the I&M trail in late May 2008, there had been heavy spring rains in the weeks leading up to the ride, and a further short downpour early the morning that I rode the I&M (while it was a sunny day when I rode the Hennepin). The saturation of the crushed limestone was never a big deal, but being set up on a relatively heavy bike with a little extra weight (panniers, etc., and I myself weigh around 200 lbs / 91 kg)--there were a few places the rear tire sank in a little bit, which meant a little different "feel" and handling than riding on smooth pavement, but this was no big deal at all.

For a bike, I used a rock-solid Cannondale touring bike with 700-35c tires, which, while narrower than mountain bike tires, were very appropriate for the Hennepin and I&M trails. The interesting thing that came up in my search is that many "non-official" Hennepin websites (general biking interest or other) that discuss the Hennepin are out-of-date or reference a period from years ago when the trail was grass in spots, or that you should start in Geneseo (not Colona) [Most of these were updated later in 2008.] The Hennepin trail is excellent, starting in Colona at the Rock River and was fine for a bike with wider tires. Narrow road bike tires may or may not be a problem for some depending on the rider and trail conditions (dry vs. after heavy rains), but anything wider, whether on a mountain bike, touring bike, or cyclocross with wider tires should almost always be fine. I also found the I&M to be a nice trail, with the exception of the major washouts encountered.

Above: Photos of scenes along the I&M Canal. In the upper photos, one of the locks along the canal; at lower left, a washout on the I&M trail just east of Utica, in a photo from 2008. At the lower right, the canal trail goes across a bridge over the DuPage River near Channahon.

More Thoughts on Logistics and Sources of Information for the RideThe
only thing that would have made the ride better was if I had employed
better logistics. When I rode the Hennepin and its feeder canal
trails, I only made one "pit-stop" in Rock Falls to take on water,
which meant that I had to carry a great quantity of water, food, and
provisions for the day. The important things to know for a "thru
biker" for the Hennepin include water / food stops beside the
"official" water stops at lock 21 and the Hennepin Visitor Center—such
as the convenience stores in Geneseo, Annawan, Tampico, Rock Falls and
Wyanett. Several times I thought of riding the 1-2 miles out of my
way, but instead wasn't confident that the towns on the maps had gas
stations, etc. with food / water for sale. Other key items of
interest are cycling shops near the route (in case of a breakdown or
other need, and also lodging options). The League of Illinois
Bicyclists website (see Links page) has a good source for bicycling
information on the Hennepin, I&M, and OPRT under the Grand Illinois
Trail. [NOTE: Since I wrote the original report, both
the League of Illinois Bicyclists and Openlands came out with excellent
cue sheets, and the LIB sheets have a wealth of pertinent information
on services as well. See the Links page.]The
information that the Illinois-DNR sent to me was also helpful—both on
the Hennepin and the I&M--I especially found the "new" Hennepin
Canal Parkway brochure from The Friends of The Hennepin Canal very
helpful as it had both a map and the distances between reference
points.

Hennepin Canal Trail and I&M Canal Trail Lodging / Accomodations GuideHere
is a guide to places to stay near the two canal trails. No review of
the places is offered--one person's "creepy, disgusting room" might be
another's "good value for the price". Some prefer primitive camping and
are fine with no showers while others want the comforts of a national
hotel chain--while the thought of staying next to I-80 spoils a trip for others. Still others prefer the quaint, homey charms of a
well-run bed and breakfast. Note for the latter not all serve meals,
including a breakfast, so plan ahead.

Eastern end of Hennepin canal and beyondRanch House Lodge Motel 815 659-3361 0.1 mile north of canal at IL-26 / IL-29Spring
Valley Motel (was Riviera Motel)
Motel 815-894-2225 In Spring Valley, when connecting between the Hennepin and I&M trails

Peru / LaSalle areaFairfield Inn Chain hotel / motel 815-223-7458 5.25 miles north and west of canalHoliday Inn Express Chain hotel / motel 815-224-2500 5.25 miles north and west of canalLa Quinta Chain hotel / motel 815-225-9000 5 miles north and west of canalSuper 8 Chain hotel / motel 815-223-1848 5.25 miles north and west of canalKaskaskia Hotel Hotel / Resort 815-224-4800 3 blocks north of canalNote--the Kaskaskia Hotel is under renovation, reopening date TBD.Daniel's Motel Motel 815-223-3829 1.4 miles north of canalBest Western Chain hotel / motel 815-883-3535 3.7 miles south and east of canalDays Inn Chain hotel / motel 815-883-9600 3.7 miles south and east of canal

Ottawa areaBuffalo Rock State Park Primitive camping 815-433-2224 On canalFox River B&B B&B 815-431-9257 8-10 miles from canalMarcia's B&B B&B 815-434-5217 2 miles north of canal on Rte. 71Starved Rock Harbor Villas and Suites B&B houseboat 815-434-9200 On the detour of the washout, or 1 mile west of Buffalo Rock and a few miles east of Utica on Dee Bennett Rd. Fox River Eagle Cabin Cabin for rent 815-434-1308 1.5 miles north and east of canalEconoLodge Chain hotel / motel 815-433-9600 1.6 miles north of canalFairfield Inn Chain hotel / motel 815-431-8955 1.5 miles north of canalHampton Inn Chain hotel / motel 815-434-6040 2.0 miles north of canal, across I-80Holiday Inn Express Chain hotel / motel 815-433-0029 2.0 miles north of canal, across I-80Super 8 Chain hotel / motel 815-434-2888 1.6 miles north of canalSands Motel Motel 815-434-6440 1/2 block from canalSurrey Motel Motel 815-433-1263 1.4 miles north of canalParkers 117 House Room for rent 815-252-3473 3 blocks south of canalRiverloft Room for rent 815-575-4325 7 blocks south of canalMadison Street Living Rooms for rent 815-434-1500 6 blocks south of canal

Other Services and Cool StuffBesides food stops (I'll leave that for the rider to plan using other resources-see the cue sheets on the Links page), there are a few other things to note besides lodging for the touring cyclist. Bike Rental and other including canoe and kayakKayak Morris offers guided kayak, canoe, and bike tours as well as rentals out of Morris, IL right on the I&M Canal where it is next to the Illinois River. 630-567-4653.Canal Area Tackle Shop rents bikes as well as camping gear. It also rents canoes, kayaks, and fishing boats and they sell fishing tackle and bait. They also offer bike repairs as well. It's right off the canal in Wyanet at S. Wyanet / Walnut Rd. 815-878-6822.

Bike Shops (mostly for repairs as a survey of them resulted in none of them offering significant rentals)Geneseo, ILB&B Lawn Equipment and Cyclery 309-944-2660 2 miles south of canalSterling, ILMead's Bike Shop 816-626-4601 2 miles north and west of canal, in SterlingPeru, ILBike Works 815-223-2500 4.5 miles north of canal (behind Menards)Morris, ILGrand Schwinn 815-942-1510 7 blocks north of canal

There are many shops in the Quad Cities area at the western end of the Hennepin Canal Trail, while at the eastern end of the I&M Canal Trail and the OPRT in the Joliet and Chicago suburbs many bike stores including Plank Road Cyclery, which is on the OPRT in Frankfort, IL.

Ride Details and Miscellaneous

For additional details on the Hennepin (elevation, route) as well as the I&M (Utica to Joliet) and OPRT, see the links below.